FREDERICK BACON

         Born in Holyoke, Massachusetts in 1871 Bacon  studied five string "classic style" banjo under Alfred A. Farland. By the late 1890s he had established himself as a celebrity for his banjo performances.  In 1907 Bacon began marketing under the "Bacon Professional" name. They were manufactured by Fairbanks/Vega and or Rettberg & Lange.  The first true Bacon banjo would be manufactured a few years later.
        In 1922 Bacon became partners with David L. Day and established the Bacon and Day company and produced the "Silver Bell" banjo.